TOM GUGLIOTTA OF THE WASHINGTON Bullets was escorted into the lowpost at a recent practice session; there he continued a dialogue withassistant coach Bill Blair about acting like a real NBA playerinstead of a -- ugh! -- rookie.''When you get the ball, you've got to turn and take it right tothe hole,'' said Blair, waving his hands. ''If you don't force yourway in there like you mean it, go up hard, then grunt and groan likeyou've been killed, the refs are just going to say, 'Shoot, there'sanother one of them damn rookies.' Now, see, you catch and kind ofturn and dribble away from the basket, and say ((here Blair lapsedinto a wimpy, singsongy voice)), 'Oh, hi, I'm Tom Gugliotta from N.C.State.' You ain't going to get nowhere talkin' like that! You'll bejust some damn rookie.''In point of fact, the Bullets' prize first-year forward has beenmuch more than some damn rookie. And he has plenty of company amongthe 56 players who make up the NBA's class of 1992-93. In a leaguethat is now Magic-less and Bird-less, this season's rookie crop hasbeen the most-talked-about subject nationwide -- the Phoenix Suns andthe Dallas Mavericks (for completely different reasons)notwithstanding. ''The last few rookie classes, to be honest, haven'tcontributed much,'' says Seattle SuperSonic general manager BobWhitsitt. ''But several members of this year's class have a chance tobe impact players as rookies and for a long time beyond.''These rookies are a fascinating collection. Some have colorfulnicknames, like Fonz (LaPhonso Ellis of the Denver Nuggets), Spoon(Clarence Weatherspoon of the Philadelphia 76ers), Sweet Pea (LloydDaniels of the San Antonio Spurs), Wookie (Sean Rooks of the Mavs),Zo (Alonzo Mourning of the Charlotte Hornets) and, of course, theaforementioned Googs. There are rookies with Serbian names (RadisavCurcic of Dallas), Dickensian names (Anthony Avent of the MilwaukeeBucks), show-biz names (Tony Bennett of the Hornets) and Oxbridgenames (Dexter Cambridge of the Mavs). The Suns' Oliver Miller lookslike he's too fat to be an NBA player, and the Indiana Pacers' MalikSealy seems to be too skinny, yet both appear to be keepers. Daniels,a recovering drug abuser, is playing with a bullet in one of hisshoulders, and Mourning is playing with a chip on each of his. TheMinnesota Timberwolves' Christian Laettner is attracting groups ofshrieking teenyboppers, while Mourning has already launched a lockerroom tirade towards a female reporter.You want human interest? Just look at Dallas. Free-agent rookieWalter Bonds gives haircuts free of charge to his teammates; Rooks, asecond-round pick who is doing a fine job at center, developed histoughness by helping his parents train animals (including alligators)for movies; and another free agent, Cambridge, who is working his wayback into condition after breaking his right leg, used to hunt sharksin his native Bahamas.There are even two prodigal sons in the class, fourth pick JimJackson of the Mavericks and 17th pick Doug Christie of the Sonics.Both are back at their alma maters (Jackson at Ohio State, Christieat Pepperdine) taking courses toward their degrees while their agentstry to hack out contract agreements.Not since 1984, when the draft produced monster talents MichaelJordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Sam Perkinsand Alvin Robertson, have so many young players caught on so quickly.And just as in the 1984-85 season, when Jordan leaped onto the scenewith the best rookie stats (28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists)in 15 years, one shining newcomer has reduced each of his classmatesto the status of participants in a race to determine who's No. 2.''Rookie runner-up,'' muses Gugliotta. ''I don't think they give anaward for that, do they?''Barring something very unusual -- ''Like maybe a bomb orsomething,'' says New York Knick rookie Hubert Davis -- the OrlandoMagic's Shaquille O'Neal will be the NBA Rookie of the Year.Outstanding classmates like Mourning, Laettner and Gugliotta don'thave a chance. Bill Cartwright of the Chicago Bulls knows how theyfeel. In 1979-80, Cartwright, then a Knick, averaged 21.7 points and8.9 rebounds in an eye-opening rookie season, yet he collected nary avote for Rookie of the Year. That's because Bird got 63 of 66 votesand Magic received the other three.One way to judge the quality of a draft is by the success -- orlack thereof -- of its No. 2 pick. Some mediocre drafts haveyielded ho-hum second picks like Steve Stipanovich (behind RalphSampson in '83), Wayman Tisdale (Patrick Ewing in '85), Armon Gilliam(David Robinson in '87) and Danny Ferry (Pervis Ellison in '89). Butthis season's No. 2 is big bad Zo, a sure No. 1 in most years and apossible All-Star next month in Salt Lake City. Twelfth pick HaroldMiner of the Miami Heat looked like he might be a big-time bust,having struggled to find his niche on a team replete with midsizedplayers like himself. But over the last seven games through Sunday,Miner averaged 17.4 points and seemed to be coming on.There is no single reason why this rookie class has been sospectacular. To begin with, they are getting the chance. Seven of the11 lottery picks became instant starters, and one of the ones whoisn't starting is Jackson, who would certainly be the woeful Mavs'mainstay at off-guard were he not in the classroom. Veteran NBAcoaches like Don Nelson of the Golden State Warriors and Wes Unseldof the Bullets are known for being wary of rookies, yet Nelson hadguard Latrell Sprewell in the starting lineup on opening night, andUnseld has deployed only one player for more minutes than Gugliotta.

Then, too, a good many teams needed immediate help. No lotteryteam gave up its spot in the '92 draft, so every one of the firstnine picks (in order, O'Neal, Mourning, Laettner, Jackson, Ellis,Gugliotta, Walt Williams of the Sacramento Kings, Todd Day of theBucks and Weatherspoon) went to teams that desperately needed aninfusion of talent. Could the Timberwolves, for example, even pretendthat Laettner couldn't beat out Thurl Bailey? And after tradingBarkley, could the 76ers claim that Weatherspoon was anything butBarkley's heir apparent at small forward? Of course not.Predicting stardom for rookies after only two months of action isan iffy proposition but -- what the heck -- let's get iffy. LeavingO'Neal out of the mix, at least six other rookies (Mourning,Laettner, Gugliotta, Williams, Robert Horry of the Houston Rocketsand Anthony Peeler of the Los Angeles Lakers) have establishedthemselves as probable All-Stars this year or in future seasons;another three (Ellis, Weatherspoon and Avent) can be tabbed as solidpros. A handful of others are strong maybes for the latter category.And when Jackson ultimately signs -- whether it's with Dallas or anyother team -- there will be another member of the All-Star group.If the voting for the rookie runner-up were held right now,Mourning, Gugliotta and Laettner would all get their share. Like allrookies, each is prone to up-and-down performances, but the rollercoaster is always fun to watch.Mourning had one of the more extraordinary debuts ever, againstthe Pacers on Nov. 13, when he either shot or committed a turnoverthe first 12 times he touched the ball. When asked to assessMourning's play, teammate Muggsy Bogues later said, with no intendedirony, ''He's unselfish once in a while.'' In short, Zo has never meta 20-footer he didn't like. That's understandable, considering whencehe came. Watching Mourning take a 15-footer before a game last month,Hornet coach Allan Bristow said, ''He would've probably gottenscolded for taking that shot at Georgetown. Can you blame him forenjoying the freedom?'' No.Though there might be some hot dog in Mourning, there is mostassuredly no dog. A scorer (18.3 a game through last weekend),rebounder (9.7), shot blocker (3.72) and shot changer, he plays withferocious competitiveness. He even got the requisite altercation withthe Detroit Pistons' Bill Laimbeer out of the way early -- Laimbeerwas fined $6,500 and Mourning $5,000 after a brief shoulder-bumpconfrontation in Charlotte on Dec. 23.But Mourning really showed that he was a rookie after a 110-101loss to Phoenix on Dec. 9 in Charlotte. Either unaware of an NBA rulerequiring that reporters of both sexes be given equal access to thelocker room, or undeterred by it, he asked Aileen Voisin of TheAtlanta Journal-Constitution, who was interviewing forward LarryJohnson at a locker nearby, to leave the premises while he gotdressed. Voisin declined, and Mourning pressed the issue, rudely.Finally, Voisin, sounding like Bullet assistant Blair, said, ''Actlike a pro, rookie!'' The intervention of Johnson, who backedVoisin's right to be in the locker room, prevented what could've beenan ugly scene. Under orders from the Hornets, Mourning laterapologized to Voisin.Laettner has had no such incidents with reporters, largely becausehe barely acknowledges their existence. In fact, that's precisely howhe treats a great portion of the human race. His abrasivepersonality, no doubt, was one reason why teammates Chuck Person,Doug West and Micheal Williams have publicly accused him of beingselfish on the court, and a lack of team chemistry was a factor inthe firing of coach Jimmy Rodgers on Jan. 11.But the good news for the Wolves is that Laettner is far tootalented, too confident and too arrogant to be the Second Coming offellow Dukie Ferry. Laettner can get his shot off in traffic (17.9points per game), he can rebound (8.1), he's tough (34 minutes onaverage), and he's friends with Stephen King. What else could youwant from a rookie? The best analysis of Laettner's game comes fromMinnesota general manager Jack McCloskey: ''He's going to become theplayer he already thinks he is.''There is very little of Laettner's arrogance in Gugliotta, whowears a Wally Cleaveresque look of earnestness both on and off thecourt. Gugliotta's biggest struggle, besides his penchant foreschewing the paint for long-range jumpers, has been coming to termswith the B-word. ''I heard myself compared to Larry Bird once in awhile when I was in college,'' says Gugliotta, ''only then I wasalways 'the poor man's Larry Bird.' '' The comparison without thequalifier has already been made by, among others, Knick coach PatRiley and Jordan. ''It's legit,'' said Jordan after Gugliotta scored25 points and got 13 rebounds in a 107-99 loss to the Bulls on Dec.17. ''He's the closest thing to Bird that I've seen, and not justbecause he's white.'' Said Utah Jazz guard Jeff Malone afterGugliotta hung a 39-point, 15-rebound line on the Jazz in a 126-109Bullet victory on Nov. 21, ''Googs showed me he can shoot, pass,rebound, hit the open man and run the floor. What else is there?''Well, he doesn't know Stephen King.The Kings' Williams also belongs in the future All-Star class,though it's hard to say at what position -- he's a 6 ft. 8 in. SwissArmy knife who has played every position this season. His most likelypermanent spot will be small forward, but doubts about his touchremain: At week's end he was shooting .453 from the field. Still, heshows remarkable efficency, averaging 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and2.5 assists in just 25 minutes. Williams has guts, too. He hasreversed a trend by wearing his socks at knee length, partly ashomage to his idol, former San Antonio star George Gervin, and partlybecause he feels it helps him ward off shinsplints.Unlike most young off-guards, the Lakers' Peeler, the No. 15 pick,knows the difference between a good shot and a bad one, as his .490shooting percentage shows. He also has excellent range, as evidencedby his .372 conversion rate on three-pointers. As soon as Los Angelesgeneral manager Jerry West, the % NBA's shrewdest judge of talent,picked Peeler, thereby ignoring a checkered past that included aconviction on a felony weapons charge, we should've known that Peelerwas a major talent.So is Houston's 6 ft. 9 in. Horry, the 11th pick, who has startedat small forward since day one. He is a scorer (10.6 points pergame), a rebounder (5.4) and, especially, a shot blocker (45 in 34games), and with some work on his ball handling he could be anotherScottie Pippen. Like Gugliotta, Horry was roundly booed by the homefans when his selection was announced at the draft back on June 24-- Bullet fans wanted Williams, who attended nearby Maryland, whileRocket watchers preferred Miner -- but Horry has proved to be anideal fit. In more ways than one. Like the H in Hakeem, the H inHorry is silent. Perfect.Below this sextet of future All-Stars is a trio headed by Ellis,who says of himself, ''I feel I'm a great talent. I run the floorvery well. I can score. I rebound.'' And someday he'll become theplayer he already thinks he is, right, Jack? Put Weatherspoon next tohim in that solid-pro category, and don't worry about Spoon's feelingpressure from the inevitable comparisons with Barkley. Besides,Weatherspoon barely opens his mouth. One thing he has said, however,makes a lot of sense: ''If I'm not the next Barkley, I don't want tobe considered a failure.'' The other solid pro is power forwardAvent, who played last season in Italy after being selected 15th bythe Atlanta Hawks in the 1991 draft. (He ended up in Milwaukee aspart of a three-way deal involving the Bucks, the Hawks and theNuggets.) He is Milwaukee's top rebounder, at 6.1 a game.Heading the intriguing ''maybes'' are Daniels, the personalreclamation project of deposed coach Jerry Tarkanian, and Miller, aBig O if there ever was one. Daniels, whose role has diminished undernew coach John Lucas, remains 10th among rookies in scoring (11.5points per game). But he has come so far so fast (SI, July 8, 1991)that it would be ridiculous to classify him as anything but aquestion mark.As for Miller, who spent two weeks on the injured list in Decemberpartly because his 300-pound bulk was causing him a variety of achesand pains, he must overcome recent NBA history that says fat is notwhere it's at. (Pick your example -- Benoit Benjamin, Mel Turpin orJohn ((Hot Plate)) Williams.) ''It's a lot easier to get a playerinto shape than teach him how to play basketball,'' says Phoenixcoach Paul Westphal. We'll see.| And we'll see about Atlanta power forward-center Adam Keefe(No. 10), who has yet to find his niche but is most assuredly betterthan Greg Butler, another big frontcourtman out of Stanford. Andabout the Portland Trailblazers' long-range bomber Tracy Murray (No.18), who has already shown he can start in a pinch for the NBA'smost-talent-laden team. And about the Nuggets' Bryant Stith (No. 13),whose promising start at shooting guard was curtailed by a brokenright foot. And about Davis (No. 20), a guard who has continued todraw praise, but not heavy minutes, from Riley.Still, above them all is Shaquille, who through Sunday wasaveraging 22.8 points (10th in the league), 15.0 rebounds (second)and 4.00 blocks (third). Here's something for you future rookies toponder. Shaq's brother, Jamal, a 12-year-old junior high phenom inSan Antonio, is, according to his father, Philip, ''bigger and betterthan Shaquille was at that age.'' Let's see, give Jamal a couple ofyears in college before applying for early entry into the NBA draft,and that means 2001 won't be a very good year to be a rookie.